Salt Lake City to Wyoming--Contrasts.

If you look on a map of Utah, in the most Northern part of the State, you will see a small lake that extends across the state line into Idaho.  Bear Lake and the tiny towns along its shore are about as far off the major highways as one can get without hiking.

 

I reached this interesting area by traveling a very narrow and winding, but scenic, drive through Logan canyon west of the town of Logan, Utah.

The lake is quite high in altitude and is as picturesque as any one could wish for.

There was still a hint of smoke in the air but it just made the scenery look ethereal.

 

Bear Lake and the Logan Canyon historically provided food and shelter to the Shoshone Indians.  Today it is a somewhat remote recreation area that is still mostly natural.  For a while the canyon became a mining area but returned to its more natural state when the mining petered out.

"Four species of fish are found in Bear Lake and nowhere else in the world.  Isolated geographically for at least 100,000 years has resulted in the evolution of four species of fish that have adapted to the unique Bear Lake environment.

The BONNEVILLE WHITEFISH

The BEARLAKE SCULPIN

The BONNEVILLE CISCO

The BEARLAKE WHITEFISH 

 

 The weather was turning cold (something I welcomed after so much heat) and I spied snow capped peaks coming up in my travels.

Daisy welcomed her new warm covers. 

In very short order I was in Wyoming and the change of scenery was striking. It is no wonder why the  Mormons and other early pioneers pushed on to Utah where water was more plentiful.

"This marker on the Overland Trail, Platte River Crossing , Nine Miles West, 1861 to 1868.'

An Interstate Highway circa 1860.

The wind and rain were becoming fierce so I found a spot near a truck parking area and got far enough away that the constantly running motors would not disturb my sleep.

 The next morning I woke to rumbling, raised my shade and saw this.  I was completely engulfed by semis, so close to me the diesel odors competed with my morning bacon and eggs.  UGH!

I did not hesitate to get back on the road though the weather was definitely ominous.